Strapless brassiere



Dec. 17, 1957 F. V. GRAF STRAPLESS BRASSIERE Filed Jan. 14, 1955 I N VEN TOR.

FRED v. GRAF Unitd States Patent STRAPLESS BRASSIERE Fred V. Graf, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 14, 1955, Serial No. 481,756

Claims. (Cl. 2-42) This invention relates to a novel construction of a combination strapless and conventional brassiere that can be converted to either type within a few seconds.

An object of my invention is to provide a strapless brassiere having a breast cup without wires.

A further object of my invention is to provide a brassiere having removable stays or flexible elements, which the wearer can remove, when relaxing, without removing the brassiere and thus retaining the support of the breast.

A further object of my invention is to provide a brassiere having removable stays or flexible elements for laundering purposes.

A further object of my invention is to provide a front body portion having two substantially semi-circular openings to receive a pair of approximately three quarter wireless breast cups. Attached to the front body portion and extending from the lower edge to the upper edge of same are two or more vertical long channels, each long channel comprised of two bindings to house the stays or flexible members. A flap with a clasp is provided at the top of each channel to hold the removable stays in place.

Attached to each side of the front body panel are two horizontal elastic members which encircle two-thirds of the body. Each side member is approximately the same length as the front body panel, tapering slightly at the back and fastened in the conventional manner. To insure a firm support and to hug the body without discomfort, two elastic strips are attached to the upper and lower edges of the horizontal elastic back portions.

A further object of my invention is the novel construction of a pair of breast receiving pockets constructed in such a manner that they fit snugly around the breasts and hold them firmly in place without the aid of wires, regardless of the activity of the wearer. My breast cup may be made in ten or more different sizes.

A removable and adjustable shoulder strap being secured in a sliding manner in the loop of one of the outside channel fiaps secured to the front panel, the back end of the shoulder strap is attached to a tab of two-Way stretch elastic material or directly to the back panel.

Another object of my invention is to provide a horizontal strip of material secured at each end to the front section of each shoulder strap which extends across the chest of the wearer, slightly above the breast to hold the shoulder straps from falling off the shoulders.

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a strapless brassiere.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the brassiere, showing a detachable adjustable shoulder strap and horizontal elastic back portion of the brassiere, with a two-way stretch elastic tab on one side and a snap on the other side attached to the upper part of the back elastic portion.

Fig. 3 shows the inner side of the front panel of the brassiere, the three existing channels with connecting flaps, describing the channels from left to right, the left channel shows the flap open with the stay about to enter,

the center stay partially entered and the right hand channel shows the stay in position with the flap closed. Part of a front shoulder strap is secured to the upper slot of the left link and the open lower part of the right link is slipped into the existing loop of closed flap. It also shows the strip of material secured approximately at each front end of the shoulder straps, the center of strip running through loop of flap in center channel.

Fig. 4 is a side view of panel, channels, flap, link and strap taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows an enlarged link, with a shoulder strap secured in the slot of the upper part of the link, and the open lower part of the, link receiving the loop of the closed channel flap.

Fig. 6 shows four segments of the brassiere cup, each of the segments A, B, C and D having one side which is longer than the other.

Referring to the drawings of the wireless strapless brassiere, Fig. 1 shows two breast cups P designed to hold the breasts firmly without the aid of wires. A front body portion can be made of one or two short or long panels 2 and 4 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 which are identically cut out by dies. Approximately two thirds of the body is encircled by two horizontal elastic panels 6, the longer end of each being secured to the ends of front panels 2 and 4 and the other end being connected to each other by hooks and eyes 12. The top and bottom of back panels 6 are re-inforced with elastic strips 8.

A tab 10 consisting of two-way stretch elastic material is stitched between panels 6 and strips 8 and the other end is provided with a stud17. The two-way elastic tab can be replaced by securing stud 16 or socket 17 in its place on top of back elastic panel.

A back short shoulder strap 13 is provided on its lower end with a socket 16. The other end of short strap 13 is provided with an adjustable buckle 15, the pointed end 14a of front shoulder strap 14 being connected to buckle 15 for adjusting purposes. The front end of strap 14 is secured to the upper end of link 18 as shown in Fig. 5,. The lower end 19 of link 18 is slipped into the loop 20, of a flap 22. Flap 22 is secured to a binding 24 and extends approximately one and one half inch above panel 2 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Bindings 24 and 26 form a long narrow channel-like pocket which houses the removable stays 28. The closed flap 22 as shown in Fig. 3 on the right side of back panel keeps the stay in place. The lower inner side of the panels is re-inforced with a horizontal strip 32 to reinforce the lower end of the three channels. A narrow horizontal band 30 as shown in Fig. 3 is secured to the inside of front shoulder strap 14 by clasps 16 and 17 or other fastening means to prevent the straps from falling off the shoulders. By placing band 30 under center flap 22, the shoulder straps are slightly tightened and hand 30 becomes a broad V bringing the front center portion of the brassiere closer to the body. The V shaped band 30 does not show when a low cut dress is worn. Both shoulder straps 13and 14 with horizontal band 30 are quickly removed.

To form the three quarter wireless breast cup P as shown in Fig. 1, the following procedure takes place. Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, center segment A resembles a modified light bulb cut on the bias below the center of the largest part of the bulb. Double side segments B and C resemble a modified leaf, double top segment D resembles a modified quarter moon, double segments B are cut identically the same. One of the two segments B is placed beneath segment A, the other segment B is placed on top. The longer sides of double segments B and segments A" are stitched together at edges 34. The same procedure takes place on the opposite segments C which are slightly smaller and stitched at edges 36. The segments B and C are then turned inside out and are double stitched close to the first stitch to make the lower half unit of the brassiere cup. The same method is used on the two identical top segments D which have one side slightly longer than the other, one on top and one on the bottom of unit B, A, C are stitched together at edges 38-3812 and 35. This done, both segments D are turned inside out and double stitched. Top edges 40 of segment D are trimmed with lace, and the four segments form the three quarter open top breast cup. Breast cups P are stitched at outer edges 42 to' the substantially semi-circular opening at edges 44 of panels 2 and 4. The inner segments are preferably made of net and the outer segments are preferably made of lace.

' I have illustrated my invention and do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications ascome within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A strapless brassiere comprising a non-elastic front panel having two substantially semi-circular openings in the top thereof, said openings being adapted to receive a pair of approximately three quarter breast cups, each of said breast cups comprising a lower center segment, said center segment having a short top edge, a substantially longer bottom edge, and a pair of convex side edges, one of said side edges being slightly longer than the other, a pair of identically cut substantially triangular side segments, each of said side segments having a bottom edge and a pair of convex side edges, one of said side edges being longer than the other, the longer of said edges being attached to the shorter side edge of said center segment, said edges being attached by being stitched together and then turned inside out and double stitched, a pair of identically cut substantially triangular opposite side segments, said opposite side segments being slightly larger than said first named side segments, each of said opposite side segments having a bottom edge and a pair of convex side edges, one of said side edges being longer than the other, the longer of said side edges being attached to the longer side edge of said center segment, said edges being attached by being stitched together and then turned inside out and double stitched, a pair of identically cut elongated top segments, each of said top segments having a lower edge, said lower edges of said top segments being attached to the top edge of said center segment and the shorter side edges of said side segments, said edges being attached by being stitched together and then turned inside out and double stitched, each of said top segments having a pair of short side edges and an upper edge, each of said upper edges having a pair of concave portions adjacent the ends thereof and a convex portion disposed therebetween adjacent the center of said top segment, the side edges of said top segments and the bottom edges of said center and side segments being stitched to the edges of said openings provided in the front body panel to secure said breast cups to said brassiere, the upper edges of said top segments being free and forming the tops of the approximately three quarter breast cups.

2. A brassiere as described in claim 1, and a pair of elastic back panels stitched at the ends of the front panel, both back panels tapering down to their opposite free ends, the top and bottom of said back panels being reinforced with an elastic strip, the free ends of said back panels being securable with a strip of hooks and eyes, said back panels comprising approximately two-thirds of the circumference of the entire brassiere.

3. A brassiere as described in claim 1, said front panel having at least two removable stays, one of said stays being disposed adjacent the outer side edge of each of said breast cups, each of said stays being housed in a longitudinal channel between two bindings, the binding next to said front panel having a flap extension at the top thereof, the other of saidbindings and said flap extension carrying complementary fastening members for holding said fiap closed, said flap forming a loop when closed.

4. A brassiere as described in claim 2, said front panel having a pair of removable stays, one of said stays being disposed adjacent the outer side edge of each ofsaid breast cups, each of said stays being housed in a longitudinal channel between two bindings, the binding next to the front panel having a flap extension at the top thereof, the other of said bindings and said flap extension carrying complementary fastening members for holding said flap closed, said flap forming a loop when closed, a pair of shoulder straps, each of said shoulder straps comprising a longer front strap and a shorter back strap connected together at one end thereof by a buckle, the other end of each of said longer front straps being secured to the upper half of a link, each of said links having an open lower half, each of said open lower halves slidably and removably receiving the loop of one of said flaps, the other end of each of said shorter back straps being secured to said elastic back panels.

5. A brassiere as described in claim 4, said front panel having a center removable stay, said center stay being housed in a center longitudinal channel between two bindings, said center channel extending vertically between said breast cups, the binding of said center channel next to the front panel having a center flap extension at the top thereof, the outside binding and said center flap carrying complementary fastening means for holding said center flap closed, said center flap forming a loop when closed, and a horizontal band secured at its opposite ends to said front shoulder straps adjacent said breast cups, the center portion of said band being slidably inserted in the loop of said center flap, said band in use forming a broad V.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 371,725 Adler Oct. 18, 1887 494,397 Tucek Mar. 28, 1893 2,051,173 Leonard Aug. 18, 1936 2,601,679 Garnett July 1, 1952 2,615,164 Graf Oct. 28, 1952 

